BWW Interviews: Hagerstown Hub Opera to Present AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS

Santa Claus may be coming to town, but the Three Wise Men will be arriving sooner in a new production of Amahl and the Night Visitors. Hagerstown Hub Opera Ensemble will present a special one time only production, directed by Phillip Collister in conjunction with Towson University Music for the Stage Ensemble at the Maryland Theater for the holiday season on December 21.

Amahl and the Night Visitors, composed by Menotti, tells the story of the Three Wise Men on the journey to visit the newborn savior. While traveling, they stop to rest for the night at young Amahl and his mother's house, and are quickly reminded of the magic and miracles of the Christmas season. The opera was originally written as a holiday special for NBC and is the first opera specifically composed for television in America.

"Amahl and the Night Visitors is such a heart-warming story. As such, working on the show has the effect of making everyone involved happy. I have specifically enjoyed watching the cast explore and grow in their characters. They have each taken risks and developed believable characters who are invested and in-the-moment. I have also enjoyed working with our boy who plays Amahl, Anthony Johnson. He has been great to work with" said Phillip.

The title character in Amahl and the Night Visitors is a fourteen year old student, representing the innocence and purity in the ancient story.

"I love to sing and was really excited for this opportunity to work with Dr. Collister and music students at Towson University. The most challenging aspect of rehearsals was working through my voice change. Although my speaking voice is becoming lower, my singing voice still reaches very high notes. I sing nearly the entire opera in my head voice and have learned to define it while working with Dr. Collister at rehearsals. It was so exciting to work closely with incredible singers that I now look up to. There are not too many roles written for boy sopranos, so this has been amazing" said Anthony Johnson on playing Amahl.

The opera will not be performed at the normal location for Hub Opera productions at Hagerstown Community College. Instead, the one night only production will occur in a new venue at the historic Maryland Theater in downtown Hagerstown. In addition to the new location, a shortened rehearsal process posed some interesting challenges to the cast.

"Rehearsing twice a week was challenging but we worked very well together" said Ava Toppo, who plays the Mother.

"The biggest challenge has been rehearsing the show only two times a week. It is hard to keep the momentum from a rehearsal when the next rehearsal was five days later, but I think we managed well" said Andrew McGowan, who plays King Kaspar.

"We have only rehearsed two days a week from early September until now. This has been challenging because there is a long break when we don't have rehearsal. In spite of this, however, the cast has remained focused and energized" said director Phillip Collister.

The cast enjoyed worked together and collaborating to recreate this inspirational story.

"The most enjoyable experience of this production was being able to work with an incredible cast. Everyone was welcoming and we began to develop a family bond which made rehearsals more fun" said Jaron Darden, who plays King Balthazar.

"The cast has been fantastic and every day was artistically exciting. I've really enjoyed seeing all my colleagues grow through the course of this production" said Toppo.

"Some of the most enjoyable experiences have been working with such a great ensemble. Everyone has put their entire hearts into this project, and together we have been able to discover the small details of the beautiful piece" said McGowan. "Productions such as these make you realize as a singer that notes are just paint strokes on a page and it's your job to make them art" added Darden.

The opera is a wonderful story for family members of all ages, and those who may not be familiar with opera, this holiday season.

"This production is a wonderful Christmas story that can relay the true meaning of love and hope for the holiday season" said Darden "It is a beautiful story and is great for anyone looking to take a short break from all of the craziness the holidays bring. It's also less than an hour long, which is the perfect length for those who might be new to seeing an opera" said McGowan

"It is based on a biblical story but it contains aspects of human nature and life that every person can identify with. Even children can remain engaged for the fifty minutes of the show. It's also a great starter opera for those who aren't familiar with the art form" said Toppo.

"I think everyone should see this opera at Christmas time. There are Christmas musicals, plays and ballets, but I don' think there are many family Christmas operas out there, which makes this so unique. This opera is about love, trust and selflessness" said Johnson

"Amahl and the Night Visitors tells a central message about the goodness of humanity. It really helps to focus our attention on those aspects of the holiday season which serve to remind us of its deeper meaning. It is a show which is appropriate for ages kindergarten through adults. The music is accessible and immediate. The characters are vibrant and real. The show is sung in English which makes it easy to understand. And it's only one hour long which, for opera, is pretty good!" said Collister.

Amahl and the Night Visitors features Nathan Wilcox as King Melchior, Maurice Hayes as the Page, Mark Bublitz, Nathanial Hitch, Meghan McGinty, Allison Nichols, Rebekkah Parson, Melodia "Mimi" Rinaldi, Ava Toppo and Connor Wilson as the Shepherds and Erica Ferguson, Chris Fotis and Courtney Wersick as featured dancers and choreographers.

Amahl and the Night Visitors runs for one performance only, at 3:00 PM on Sunday, December 21 at the Maryland Theater, 27 South Potomac St. in Hagerstown, MD. Tickets begin at $25.00 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 301-790-2000 or visiting MDTheatre.org. For more information about the Hagerstown Hub Opera Ensemble, please visit http://www.huboperaensemble.org/

Photo Credit: Hagerstown Hub Opera Ensemble

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